Download COPD Leaflet FINAL - Norfolk Community Health and Care

Patient details
Your name: _________________________________________________________________
Your Nurse’s name: __________________________ Tel: ____________________________
Community Respiratory Service
Your GP’s name: _____________________________ Tel: ____________________________
Name of your GP Practice: ____________________________________________________
GP Out of Hours Tel: _________________________________________________________
Lung function measurements - to be completed by your doctor or nurse
Date
FEV1
FVC
Sa02
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease
Information about medication and an Action Plan
to use if your condition gets worse due to an infection
If you would like this
publication in large print,
Braille, alternative format or
in a different language,
please contact us on 01603 697300
and we will do our best to help.
Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim.
Published by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, October 2011.
Please bring this document with you when you see your doctor or nurse about your COPD
www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk
Looking after you locally
www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk
Looking after you locally
Information about your medication
Your usual treatment
Regular medication - to be taken when your condition is stable
Inhalers
Short-acting Bronchodilators
Bronchodilators is the medicine in your inhaler which
relaxes the muscles in your airways and makes it easier
for you to breathe. Bronchodilators which are shortacting, start to work within about 10 minutes and the
effect should last for about four hours.
Long-acting bronchodilators
Your short-acting
medication is called:
Name
Lunch Evening Bedtime
Medication to be taken when necessary
Name
Some inhalers contain both an inhaled steroid and a
long-acting bronchodilator. These are usually taken
twice-a-day.
Morning
Your long-acting
medication is called:
Long-acting bronchodilators take more time before
they have an effect, but last between 12-24 hours.
Combination inhalers
Dose
Instructions
Your combination
inhaler is called:
Other medication
Sometimes, tablets or capsules may be prescribed.
These are to be taken regularly to help your breathing
or reduce the amount of phlegm you produce.
!
Your other medication
is called:
Important Note
Make sure you do not run out of your medication. When you
ask for a repeat prescription from your GP practice or pharmacist,
always allow time (usually two days) for them to arrange it.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a special programme designed to help people with lung
disease to improve their fitness and learn more about managing their condition.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation programmes are very effective at helping people who have
a chronic lung disease and are bothered by breathlessness, to improve their fitness,
confidence and ability to manage their condition through a personalised
programme of exercise and education sessions.
Talk to your practice nurse or GP about joining a Pulmonary Rehabilitation
programme near you.
COPD Action Plan
When you are well, be aware of the following:
Action:
• How much activity you can do each day
• Have something to look forward to each day
• What your breathing is like when you are resting and when you are active
• Plan ahead - pace yourself and allow enough time to do things
• How much phlegm you cough up and what colour it is
• Exercise every day
• Things that make your breathing worse
• Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids
• What your appetite is like
• Avoid things that make your condition worse
• How well you are sleeping
• Take your medication as directed by your doctor
• Never allow your medications to run out
The following are signs that your symptoms are getting worse:
Action:
• Feeling more breathless or wheezy than usual
• Reduced energy for daily activities
• Contact your doctor or nurse if you need to talk about increasing your reliever
medication and starting antibiotics and/or steroids (see next page)
• Coughing up more phlegm
• Allow more time for things
• Change in colour of phlegm
• Get plenty of rest
• Poor sleep and/or symptoms waking you in the night
• Use relaxation and controlled breathing techniques
• Eat small amounts more often and drink enough fluids
The following are signs of a severe attack:
Action:
• Breathlessness and cough getting worse
• Phone your doctor for an urgent appointment or home visit
• You are not able to carry out your normal daily activities
• Your medications are not working
The following are danger signs:
Action:
• Very short of breath when you are at rest, with no relief from medication
• Dial 999 for an ambulance or ring the GP Out of Hours service
• Chest pains
• High fever
• Feelings of agitation, fear, drowsiness or confusion
Medication to use when your symptoms are worse
• Be aware of signs that your breathing or cough is getting worse and
use the colour-coded Action Plan (see middle pages).
• Take immediate steps to increase your treatment and take additional medication as
this may reduce the risk of your breathing becoming worse. Your GP may allow
you to have reserve antibiotics and steroids at home to use if your symptoms
become worse. If you are in any doubt about what to do, contact your
doctor or nurse, or the Out of Hours service for advice.
Things you can do to keep well
Try
to exercise
every day
Walk for 10 minutes, three
times-a-day. You will
not cause any harm by
getting slightly short
of breath
Talk to your nurse
or GP about joining a
Pulmonary
Rehabilitation
course
near you
Maintain a
healthy body
weight
and eat a
balanced
diet
• Extra reliever - to reduce breathlessness
Take up to _________ puffs of ___________________________________________
every __________ hours
Use inhalers through a spacer for maximum effect
• Antibiotic - to use if your sputum becomes coloured or the amount
increases due to infection
Stop
smoking
Go smokefree
It is never too late
for this to be
beneficial
Call Smokefree
Norfolk for free on
0800 0854 113
Have a
Have a
Avoid
places where
other people are
smoking
Take __________ mg of _________________________________________________
______________times-a-day, for seven days
• Prednisolone (steroid) tablets - to use to reduce inflammation in
the lungs when your breathing is bad
Take six 5mg tablets as a single dose, once-a-day, for seven days
!
Important Note
Make sure you do not run out of your medication. When you
ask for a repeat prescription from your GP practice or pharmacist,
always allow time (usually two days) for them to arrange it.
flu
vaccination
pneumococcal
vaccination
every year
(this only needs to
be done once)
In very
Wear
warm clothing
cold weather,
make sure you have
enough heating
indoors
when you go outside
in cold weather,
and carry your
reliever inhaler
with you
Make sure you
know how to use
your inhalers
properly. Your
nurse will be able
to help
Avoid
sedatives or
too much alcohol